101 Amazing Facts about Planes

By Jack Goldstein

Do you know which way round a country’s flag is placed on an airplane’s tail? What Qantas stands for? What are the twenty most iconic planes of all time? And what happened to the man who successfully glided from a tower in China in the year 559 AD? This fantastic quick-read eBook features 101 amazing facts about planes, split into categories such as the history of flight, world records, the most amazing facts and many more. So if you want to know who owns the most expensive private jet in the world, or what is particularly unusual about the photographs of the Wright brothers’ first flight, then this is the book for you. Find the information you want, fast!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AUK Authors
• Release date: Jan 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783335220

Book preview

General Facts

Only 5% of the world’s population have ever been on an airplane.

Whilst it might seem you’re flying high above the world when you’re in a commercial jet, it’s not really that high up in the big scheme of things. If you were to shrink the earth down to the size of an average 30cm diameter globe you would have in a classroom or home, then the planes would only be flying two millimetres above the surface!

Commercial flights that are under 8 hours require two pilots, with those between 8 and 12 hours requiring three. Those longer than 12 hours actually require four pilots, who will generally fly three or four hour shifts.

Airplanes are regularly struck by lightning, and although this can very occasionally cause problems, most modern aircraft are designed to cope with the phenomenon.

If you are a nervous flyer, you may want to book a morning flight. This is because as the day progresses, the chances of both turbulence and thunderstorms